KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- The decision of the MCA Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to accept appointments to government posts at all levels is apt, to bring back the confidence of the Chinese community in the party.

Political analysts saw the decision, which was arrived at through the votes of almost all the 1,982 delegates at the meeting Sunday, as an MCA paradigm shift for the continued survival of the component of Barisan Nasional (BN), after its debilitating loss in the 13th general election (GE13).

Only five protests were recorded during the meeting while four declined to vote, to amend the resolution which was decided at the MCA general meeting in 2011 to decline any government posts if it failed in the GE13.

Political analyst and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Geostrategist, Dr Azmi Hassan said the move could not be regarded as making a 'U-turn' as it was made by the new leadership lineup of the party.

"MCA must have a voice in the Cabinet, because without the party representation there, their 'hands are tied'. Definitely, they need a voice in the Cabinet," he said when contacted by Bernama here, Monday.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Social Science Study Centre deputy dean Dr Sivamurugan Pandian also admitted the focus now was how the resolution could be applied in the middle of an already running national government administration.

"The previous resolution (2011) resulted in posts which were traditionally held by leaders from MCA being filled by the leaders of other parties.

"Will there be a Cabinet reshuffle or we will see an expansion of posts in the Cabinet? This is what we are waiting for," he said.

Department of Nationhood and Civilization Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia Dr Ahmad Tarmizi Talib said the decision was appropriate because it opened the opportunity to the party to be more committed in serving the people.

He added, the past decision by MCA against accepting posts in the government was not a smart move, describing it as having backfired.

"They (MCA) should have still served the people despite losing, and not refuse to accept or reject any government posts because the longer they did not serve, the further the people will drift away from them.

"As such, the decision to reaccept government posts is apt because there are still people who support them. If they still stick by the previous decision, who will want to serve for their supporters?" he said.

A similar view was also given by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) senior lecturer Dr Jeniri Amir who regarded the decision made by the latest MCA leaders as the 'best move' and essential to ensure their future, seeing not much could be done by MCA if it was outside the Cabinet.

"This action will indirectly give confidence to the Chinese community to support BN again because through the move, MCA will be able to voice the needs and problems of the Chinese community for effective settlements.

"We fervently hope MCA will really endeavour to fight for the Chinese community," he said.

Political analysts view that BN can reduce Pakatan's majority in the Kajang by-election with the right strategy.

PETALING JAYA: It is possible to reduce the majority in the Kajang by-election if Barisan Nasional can entice the Chinese voters and fence sitters, said Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) political science expert Prof Mustafa Ishak.
Mustafa said the BN should find a way to entice the Chinese voters as one of its strategies.
“BN must find ways to attract the Chinese community through the MCA but it will not wok overnight. Gradually there is a possibity for change,” he said.
He added that BN should also pull the fence sitters to their side to give a good fight.
Mustafa said BN might announce MCA’s Chew Mei Fun as the candidate and the party vice-president was an icon among the Chinese community which could probably favour BN.
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) political analyst Prof Sivamurugan Pandian said Anwar had a better chance than the other candidates because PKR had managed to increase their majority from 3,000 to 6,000 in the last general election.
“If other candidates can reduce the majority it will be seen as a morale victory for BN,” he added.
Sivamurugan said the BN should field a candidate preferred by Kajang voters and use the right campaign strategy to reduce the majority.
A survey was done by Universiti Malaya Centre of Democracy and Election (Umcedel) on Feb 14 and 15 showed that 59% of the voters wanted the by-election so that Anwar could become the Selangor Menteri Besar while 93% said it was not a waste of public funds.
Some 42% of the voters said the PKR-engineered by-election was necessary to solve the party’s internal politics, while only 20% disagreed.
The number of respondents sampled was 576 which is 1.47% of the 39,728 voters in Kajang.
Umcedel defended the validity of their research, saying that the respondents were interviewed in person through a random sampling method.
Prof Zaharom Nain, a political observer from Notthingham University Malaysia campus, said a sampling strategy was vital in any survey.
He said choosing the right sampling strategy would give credibility to the survey, adding that UM polls had carried trustworthy results until today.
Zaharom said even in a random survey the researcher simply could not choose the respondents but had to identify the target group they wanted to interview.
He added that Anwar had a clear chance of winning this battle and independent candidates would not be a major threat.
The seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh of PKR on Jan 27. The Election Commission has set March 11 for nomination and March 23 for polling.
The Kajang state seat comprises 39,728 registered voters. It has 48% Malay voters, Chinese 41%, Indian 10% and others 1%.
The voter turnout in the last general election in May last year was 87.9%, with 541 spoilt votes.
The by-election, however, will not have a bearing on who runs the state as Pakatan Rakyat has 44 seats in the 56-seat state assembly - FMT

Friday, February 21, 2014

KANGAR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Perlis Menteri Besar, Azlan Man said Thursday the Barisan Nasional (BN) should field a candidate in the Kajang state by-election, polling for which is on March 23.

Azlan, who is deputy chairman of the Perlis UMNO Liaison Committee, said victory or defeat was secondary.

The primary consideration was that the by-election would enable the BN to learn the people's change of attitude, he told BERNAMA after he had addressed staff of the Perlis Community Development Department (KEMAS), in Kangar.

Azlan said that though Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) won the seat with a big majority in the last general election, it did not mean that there would not be a change now.

The Kajang state seat fell vacant after the assemblyman, Lee Chin Cheh of PKR, resigned on Jan 27 to pave the way for PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest the seat.

Anwar is said to be eyeing the post of Selangor menteri besar.

Meanwhile in KUALA LUMPUR, several politicians and political analysts are of the view that BN need not contest in the Kajang state by-election if it does not want to be seen as 'dancing to the drum beat' of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

The politicians and political analysts said that BN should make an indepth study so as not to be trapped in PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's political ploy.

In fact, there were demands for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who helms the BN leadership, not to contest in the Penanti state by-election in Penang in 2009 because the seat was not vacated due to the provisions of the constitution.

The Penanti by-election was held in 2009, following the resignation of incumbent Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin from PKR, with the excuse he wanted to further his studies, besides clearing his name from allegations of corruption.

Sabah BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said BN needed to focus on efforts to reduce the people's burden and organise the country's economic structure, instead of paying attention to the opposition's political woes.

"In my personal opinion, let Pakatan Rakyat continue to play their kind of politics while BN continues to serve the nation and take care of the people's fate," he said in his blog.

Salleh said BN should consider not placing a candidate in Kajang because, in reality, the by-election was being held to fulfill Anwar's political desires.

"Given that Kajang is said to be MCA's traditional seat, we are of the view that MCA must focus on efforts to strengthen the party under the current leadership and prepare for the next general election," he noted.

The Election Commission has set March 23 as polling date. March 11 is nomination day.

Meanwhile, Wanita MCA chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie said the by-election was a drain of funds, deliberately held to solve PKR's internal crisis.

"Feedback (which) I received from the grassroots say if we contest, we dance to their tune. It will be a loss to the country as the money can be used for infrastructure development and aid to the poor," she said when contacted.

She said MCA, which recently concluded its party elections, needed more opportunities and efforts to focus on party transformation and better delivery service to the people.

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Politics and International Studies lecturer Md Shukri Shuib said it would be better the by-election was boycotted by all quarters, if the incumbent's resignation which was made without any concrete reason, was not investigated and no legal action was taken.

"It is not our intention to boycott democracy but there must be respect for the law.

"This is not a question of being afraid, or who the hero is or not. If you want to become a hero, it is better to join wrestling as this is a better political strategy but if there is no necessity or interest, then it is better to avoid a contest," he said.

Universiti Sains Malaysia's Social Science Studies Centre lecturer Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said previously, BN did not contest in Penanti due to a similar scenario.

He was of the view that BN should continue to uphold the same resolution which indirectly, would show its political maturity.

Sharing similar sentiments, UiTM Alumni Association, in a statement, said the by-election should not be forced on the voters in the area, who had only cast their votes less than a year ago in the 13th General Election.

"It goes against the principles and practices of democracy. As such, BN need not take part in the by-election," it said.

MALAYSIA'S politicians are really one-of-a-kind. They sure know how to colour Malaysian political scene, making it vibrant and interesting to witness. This is very likely especially when they utter things that shouldn't be uttered.

And when they slip-up, their words will easily be turned into a joke in social networking sites and overtime, this has resulted in some thinking that a person has to be ‘less than intelligent’ to be a minister.

What better example to give other than the recent 'kangkung' issue? The issue came about following a speech given by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and it has become the highest trending and most watched viral video in social networking sites.

The unfortunate 'kangkung' incident was widely criticised, ridiculed by many and even used as a joke to insult the government's leadership.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin rose and attempted to 'save' the PM's 'kangkung' comment. He expressed in his Twitter account, "Don't make a fuss about the 'kangkung' issue. PM was simply giving an example that not all things' prices go up. There are many factors that can cause the hike. Be rational".

But Najib isn't the only one, you see. They are other cabinet ministers who have made remarks that left all of us cringing, hoping for a miracle or a time machine so we could tell them, "Don't say it because it hurts!".

Now, lets break it down to some examples, shall we?

1) Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hasan Malek once said, "If the price of chicken is expensive, do not eat chicken."

2) Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar also said, road users can choose to use other common roads if they think the toll increase is too high. "For those who think it's too expensive, they can choose not to use the road."THE recent 'kangkung' issue has become the highest trending and most watched viral in the social network.Pic:Pic:kongsiblogspot

3) Federal Territories Minister, Tengku Adnan Ku Mansor also made an unimpressive remark with "Don't buy a house if the prices go up."

Perhaps the ministers have their own reasons for making the statements whether it was intended for certain parties or uttered as a joke. Unfortunately, the effects were disastrous to the extent that it became a degrading issue and there was even a remix, auto-tuned song made from it.

People are wiser, and combined with the current technology, we are more aware of every speech made by the ministers.

Is there a more effective mechanism that needs to be done before a minister issue a statement? And if the minister 'slip up', who should be responsible and what can be done to cover the mistake?

Political analyst Professor Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain thinks the absence of a spokeperson in the government's communication system is the cause for the ministers' statements being manipulated.

He did not rule out that the information provided are not as efficient since it was released directly by the minister.

"For example, in foreign countries, they have a personal spokesperson representing the minister in presenting information and this can prevent any mistakes on the info given by the minister.

"There are also cases where communications between them is not very effective. However, the officers and government leaders need to be more alert. Do not simply voice their opinions," he told Malaysian Digest (mD).

Not Doing Their Job

ATORY:The entrusted officer did not do his job and homework./Pic:Sinar HarianAll speeches and testimonies by the ministers would be considered as naive and less intellectual if influenced by their emotions or without first verifying the facts.

Atory commented and criticised the officer responsible for providing information and explanations to the minister as negligent.

"The entrusted officer did not do his job and homework.

"Each government officials and advisers must be careful when giving information or advice to the minister or the prime minister himself," he said to mD.

It should be view-based

When contacted, he suggested that all the information provided to ministers should be studied and reviewed in advance.

"For example, the issue of kangkung, it became a big issue but the slip up was inadvertent because he (Najib) is also human.

"The officer responsible should come forward and give the real statement despite the fact that it may reveal his weaknesses and negligence. This is to ensure that it will not continue to be misinterpreted," he said.

He added that, prior to any statement made, the officer has to make sure that every fact and figures are correct. This is to avoid the informant or speaker from being seen as 'less than intelligent'.Media Training Is Essential

According to a source's portal report, the Prime Minister has made media training as mandatory to his Cabinet ministers to avoid any irrational statements that may cause his administration from becoming a joke among Malaysians.

Political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian views it as a rational proposal to ensure that the information presented by the minister can be accepted and understood by all.

"The proposal is acceptable and even encouraged to add to the skill of the minister in communicating with multiple parties and allows them to be ready to face any unexpected questions and avoid from being too emotional," he said.

He added that the effort is not something that would reveal the weakness of our leadership, but it is a process to be prepared from any attacks.

Avoid Provocation

Circumstances which can trap themselves must be avoided by the minister so that the statement made is not manipulated and provoked by specific parties, he said to mD.SIVAMURUGAN:The minister should also respond with sincerity. He might put himself in a spot if the statement highlighted has been manipulated. That is why emotional statements were made/Pic:Malaysian Insider

Provocations can come from anyone seeking answers and the minister must be careful in handling the pressure.

"The minister should also respond with sincerity. He might put himself in a spot if the statement highlighted has been manipulated. That is why emotional statements were made," he added.

Unfiltered Information and Questions

Dr. Sivamurugan did not rule out the possibility that the officer assigned to prepare a speech did not check and filter the information provided before it was presented by the minister.

"Information and questions need to be filtered and censored before giving any answers.

He suggested that all ministers come prepared in order not to give any chance for the information being ridiculed.

'Ambush'

Meanwhile, a statement from a source who declined to be named, said the minister was in a state of control when he was 'ambushed' by a variety of questions.

He said the minister may have given a spontaneous answer, when he should be patient.

"The minister has to face all sorts of situation and people, especially when it involves a hot issue. There is a possibility of an error or word slip ups.

"The best way is to do careful planning and be prepared in every press conference they attend," he said.

MPs Immunity

Under Article 63 of the Constitution, MPs are given immunity when they speak in Parliament, but it is not an absolute immunity in nature but has certain restrictions.

Referring to the restrictions, there are four main thing that are not allowed and they are the special rights of the Malays, Bahasa Melayu as the national language in Article 152, the Malay rulers in Article 181 and lastly the, anything that are included in the definition of sedition under the Sedition Act 1948.

Legal action will be taken against any member of Parliament who touched on Article 153, 152, 181 and sedition under the Sedition Act.

Each speech and word spoken by the ministers will be scrutinised and weighed to see whether it will have a positive or negative impact.

However, will the ministers and leaders continue to be labeled as unintelligent and will they continue to make mistakes in their leadership? We'll just have to wait and see.

KUALA LUMPUR, (Bernama) -- The increase in prices of goods and rising cost of living that has dominated socio-economic issue is making certain quarters blaming the government for allegedly not doing the necessary to protect consumers in the country.

However, the fact is, many people are unaware or deliberately "close their eyes", that as consumers, they are being given priority by the government.

In fact, Malaysia is among the first developing countries to formulate a law to protect consumers with the gazette of the Price Control Act 1946.

The Act empowers the government to fix and regulate the prices on specific items, and then reinforces with the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Amendment 1973) which serves to control the supply of items declared as controlled items to ensure adequate supplies.

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (FOMCA) Adviser Datuk Prof Hamdan Adnan said Malaysia was clearly not lacking in law or policies aimed at protecting consumers' rights and interests.

He said the rights of consumers from being cheated, oppressed and exploited were protected under the laws.

"In terms of the number of laws, Malaysia is on par with the developed countries, except in terms of enforcement where it needed to be enhanced to ensure the interests of consumers are assured," he added.

To meet with current needs and requirements, these laws are improved, like the Consumer Protection Act which has been amended four times, with the last in 2010 aimed at providing more comprehensive protection users.

Under the amendments, the Consumer Claims Tribunal was established as a mechanism to protect consumer's rights.

In addition, the Price Control Act (Labelling Order) Act 1980, which among others require manufacturers and producers to provide basic information on packaging, halal status and price tag, thus allowing users to ensure the specifications are safe and environmentally friendly.

The Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act ensure traders do not raise prices indiscriminately, especially when the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is implemented in April 2015.

Consumers are also covered under policies, like the National Consumer Policy (NDP), which was introduced in 2002 to establish a balance between the rights and responsibilities of consumers and traders, including suppliers and manufacturers.

The government has also established a number of institutions, including the National Consumer Protection Advisory Council( MPPPK ) and the Tribunal for Consumer Claims Malaysia (TCCM), which is responsible for hearing and determining consumers' claims.

With the existing acts and policies, Hamdan said it was unfair to put the blame on the government, adding that all parties should collaborate with the government to address the increase in prices of goods in the country.

"Now, we only see the government, from the prime minister to his deputy prime minister and ministers going to the ground to monitor prices of goods, but the people, as consumers, and the consumers associations, are not doing the same," he added.

Social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye emphasised the importance of the consumers' role as the government's "ears and eyes".

"If the people come across items with no price tags and traders selling items at unreasonable prices, they must report immediately. We cannot expect to have enforcement officers everywhere.

"Tougher penalties should be imposed on errant traders, if they repeatedly ignored warnings. This is to send a message to other traders to respect and comply with trade regulations and laws," he said.

However, political analyst and Social Science lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Associate Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said efforts should be made to clarify the importance of the laws to the public.

"This will make the public understand that efforts to address the rising cost of living is not the responsibility of the government alone.

"The laws are there, but consumers must know their rights so that they will not be easily cheated by unscrupulous traders," he added.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- Any elected representative who vacates his or her seat without valid reasons should be fined a minimum of RM1 million, bear the cost of holding a by-election and banned from holding public office for life, said political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani.

He said state and federal laws must be amended to impose stiffer penalties in order to prevent any abuse of the democratic process and wastage of taxpayers' money.

The current five-year suspension from contesting in any election was insufficient, and more severe punishments should be introduced to deter similar incidents, the dean of the School of International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia told Bernama today.

He was asked to comment on this matter following the resignation of Kajang State Assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh, from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), on Jan 27, forcing a by-election for the seat.

The resignation has come under heavy criticism from many Malaysians including some opposition party members who regarded the move as a betrayal of the people's mandate.

"The current provisions of the federal and state laws must be amended, by listing down factors such as health, bankruptcy, conviction for any criminal and related offences, as valid reasons, to allow an elected representative to resign.

"Otherwise, these irresponsible MPs or Assemblymen should be punished with monetary penalties or banned for life from public office because they had abused public funds and belittled the people's trust due to their selfish action," Assoc Prof Azizuddin said.

He pointed out that they should also bear the cost of holding a by-election as the sudden poll would be seen as a massive burden to the people.

For instance, the Election Commission had to put aside about RM1.6 million to run the Kajang by-election.

In 2008, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail vacated the Permatang Pauh Parliamentary seat to make way for her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to become "Yang Berhormat", in a by-election that cost RM1.5 million.

Last year, the Election Commission spent about RM700,000 on the Kuala Besut by-election on July 24, while another RM1.1 million for Sungai Limau by-election on Nov 4.

Since Kajang is an urban area and rental rates are higher, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof put the estimated cost for the N9 Kajang by-election at about RM1.6 million.

Yesterday, the EC fixed March 23 for polling for the Kajang state by-election, and set the nomination for March 11. Elaborating further, Assoc Prof Azizuddin said the existing law was clearly not comprehensive as it does not penalise an elected representative who resigns without valid reasons.

According to Article 68 of the Selangor State Constitution, an assemblyman could release his state assembly membership through a signed letter addressed to the state Speaker.

Under the current law, such as the Federal Constitution (Article 48(6)) and the provision of the state constitution (such as Selangor Constitution - Article 64(5)), a person who resigns his membership of the House of Representatives or Legislative Assembly of the State shall, for a period of five years beginning with the date on which his resignation takes effect, be disqualified from being a member of the House of Representatives or Legislative Assembly of the State.

"Therefore, the much needed amendments in the state and federal constitution is to prevent an MP or state assemblyman to take this resignation without valid reasons lightly and be held responsible for such act.

"This would also make the party more prudent in choosing the candidate in future," said Assoc Prof Azizuddin, adding the time had come for the government to take approriate steps to propose an amendment to the Election Act 1958.

Echoing similar sentiments, another political analyst Dr Sivamurugan Pandian suggested that the EC come up with a guideline, stating which health issues, would allow a MP or state assemblyman to resign from his post.

"A MP can vacate his post if he has a doctor's certificate saying he is suffering from some critical illnesses and diseases such as cancer, terminal illness, paralysis (loss of the use of limbs) and others," he said.

The Associate Professor from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) proposed a special court for election cases to be formed, in order to take legal action against those elected representatives, and send them to jail, to provide a lesson to others.

"I think it is time to have town hall discussions to forward suggestions to the EC on this issue. The EC should get public feedback on whether the majority would agree to these amendments," he said.

Sivamurugan also suggested that the EC considered allowing the candidate with the second highest vote to replace those who quit without a valid reason.

Meanwhile, former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah explained that Article 68 of the Selangor State Constitution gave the right to any holder of public office to resign his post prematurely, without stating his reasons.

"As example, a person appointed to public office may be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or Sultan or even the Menteri Besar. Such holder of office, may at any time vacate his seat. That is his right and he cannot be forced to continue his term until it expires," he said.

Explaining further, he said sometimes an MP or state assemblyman resigned for reasons that fall under Article 48 of the Federal Constitution, such as being of unsound mind, bankruptcy, and holding an office of profit.

"Automatically, he becomes disqualified and compelled to vacate if he is convicted of an offence and sentenced to jail for a term of not less than one year or to a fine of not less than RM2,000 and has not received a free pardon or voluntarily acquiring citizenship in another country," he added.

Asked whether the Constitution should be amended to compel an MP or Assemblyman to give reason for early resignation, Mohd Noor said:

"It is a matter of policy. But as a rule, such provision in the Constitution gives the right to the holder of the office to resign without stating his reasons."

Last month, Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang Tan proposed a monetary penalty of RM100,000 for state assemblymen and RM200,000 for MPs who resign, except for reasons of illness or other conditions rendering them unfit to discharge their duties.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has asked Malaysians to put aside their racial and religious differences and live united as a nation.
CALL it National Reconciliation or National Consensus. It is an agenda Malaysia urgently needs to check further increase in communal tension. Race relations have been strained, reaching an unhealthy stage and without any signs of improving.
In fact, the situation has worsened after the 2013 General Election because almost everything that happened, or did not, had been heavily politicised.
Lately, it appears that irresponsible parties are bent on inciting religious tension between the Muslims and Christians.
It is laudable that we now have political leaders from both sides of the divide showing interest in “working things out” for the sake of racial harmony and national security.
Since it looks like only a political solution can reduce, if not eliminate, the present tense atmosphere, it is best that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government and opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat (PR) set aside their differences and work towards a bigger agenda for the sake of the nation.
They cannot afford to drag their feet, lest it would be difficult, or even too late, to stop irresponsible parties or extremists from attempting to pit the races against one another.“The focus should be apolitical if all parties are sincere to maintain peace and harmony. If political parties continuously use the race card to win support in their respective ethnic groups, we may lose what we have enjoyed all this while,” said academician Dr Sivamurugan Pandian.The focus of both parties, said the political analyst from Universiti Sains Malaysia, should be on nation-building rather than focusing on power, authority and position in order to have moral legitimacy.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in his Chinese New Year message, had asked Malaysians to put aside their racial and religious differences and live united as a nation.
“It comes down to us, as Malaysians, to take responsibility and refuse anything which may pose a threat or induce violence and, in turn, threaten the peace of our country,” he said in a statement on his 1Malaysia blog.
And at the MCA’s CNY open house on Friday, the prime minister, when calling on Malaysians to preserve racial peace and harmony, expressed hope that the new lunar year would open a new chapter for Malaysians to continue making transformation for the country’s economy based on the good relations between all races.
He said this was vital because “peace and harmony are the pillars of success for our country”.
DAP adviser and Gelang Patah member of parliament Lim Kit Siang, in a message ahead of CNY, wants Malaysians to speak “to save Malaysia from the machinations and evil design of a small group of traitors out to destabilise the country through the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension”.
Party Keadilan Rakyat deputy president Mohd Azmin Ali said pressing issues such as those concerning religion, the economy and others must be discussed as soon as possible.
The country is grappling with conflict between Muslims and Christians over the use of the word “Allah”, which recently led to Molotov cocktails being thrown at a church in Penang, similar to the attacks on several churches over the same issue in 2010.
Banners with the words “Allah is Great, Jesus is the son of Allah” were hung outside several churches in Penang. Malaysians were shocked when structures, including crosses at several gravestones at a Christian cemetery in Kuantan, were damaged by vandals.
Not long before these attacks, protesters comprising members of non-governmental organisations in Penang held up banners threatening a recurrence of the May 13 racial riots in protest over a flash mob ridiculing Najib.
The cabinet has agreed to formulate a National Reconciliation Plan through unity and consensus, based on the four key thrusts of social, political, government and international relations, and this should be supported by all for the good of the nation.
While it is true that we cannot turn back the clock, the onus is still on all of us to bring calm to the present volatile environment.